Lansing Town budget public hearing expected early November

Town residents will get the opportunity to provide input on Lansing’s 2024 budget at the Nov. 8 meeting.  

Further details of the proposed budget are yet to be hammered out, town board members and town employees said.

“Currently, the budget is in tentative status,” said Mary Ellen Albrecht, the town’s bookkeeper. “We expect to have a preliminary budget proposed at our next regular town board meeting.  Should the budget be approved at that meeting, a preliminary budget will be available soon thereafter.”

Albrecht’s statement is a response to an inquiry made by Tompkins Weekly seeking figures such as the estimated revenues and expenditures, as well as the tax levy number and the tax rate on local homeowners.

Lansing Town Clerk Debbie Munson said at the Sept. 20 town board meeting that the board will vote on changes made to the tentative budget via a resolution on Oct. 18. Those changes are expected to be discussed among board members and town employees in the lead-up to the October meeting. Prior to that, some highlights of next year’s tentative budget were discussed on Sept. 25, at a budget workshop meeting.

“We share emails back and forth and propose certain things, and we can have that whole discussion at the end [in November],” Town Supervisor Ed LaVigne said at the September workshop.

LaVigne noted that this would be a budget with little wiggle room heading into next year.

“The way this budget is set up, there are very tight windows,” he said. “If someone wants something increased, we might have to decrease another line. We have found out in the past that budget modifications have taken off and might need a step back. This is why this is almost an austerity budget.”

Some of the highlights discussed by the town board are as follows:

• Sales tax allocation

LaVigne said that the town needs to “protect their sales tax revenue.”

“We cannot spray sales tax,” he said. The town plans to change the distribution of sales tax, as it goes into the multiple accounts in the budget.

“This is designed to increase the fund balance at the end of the year,” LaVigne continued.

• Wages for employees will be going up by 4%

LaVigne noted that full-time employees of the highway department could see a $2 increase to their hourly wage.

• American Rescue Plan Funds

Earlier this year, Tompkins Weekly reported on an emergency meeting in which town board members decided to its remaining funds on the purchase of $191,957 worth of salt for the town’s roads and provide $10,000 to the to Lansing Food Pantry on East Shore Drive to “offset low inventories and increased demand,” according to a resolution read by Lansing’s attorney, Guy Krogh. 

The federal government allocated $407,974.13 to the town as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. These funds were disbursed to municipalities across the county to inject direct relief into local economies and to act as a foundation that would spur economic growth and address aging infrastructure. The advice from Krogh at the time was to quickly allocate the money to projects that were of interest to the town board and the public at large. The funds have an expiration date of 2024, based on the initial federal guidelines released in 2021.

Lansing at Large appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com. Contact Eddie Velazquez at edvel37@gmail.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @ezvelazquez.

In brief:

Tompkins County residents are invited to celebrate with costumes and cocktails in benefit of the Lansing Community Library.

Residents will be treated to a night of fun, laughter and a side of spookiness at LakeWatch Inn at 1636 E. Shore Dr. on Oct. 20, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., in support of the library.  

The evening will kick off with a complimentary drink. Attendees can also expect a variety of  hors d’oeuvres as they mingle.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle and eclectic items to be won at a silent auction. Additionally, attendees are encouraged to participate in a costume contest orchestrated by the library, with awards going to the scariest, funniest and most original costumes. There are also categories for the best couple’s costume and best literary-themed costume.

Elephant Sound DJ will provide the entertainment for the night, and there will be a Halloween-themed photo booth.

Tickets are $50, with a $75 option that includes additional drinks and surprises.  Tickets are sold at the Lansing Community Library. 

“This event isn’t just about fun — it’s a fantastic opportunity to show your support for the Lansing Community Library,” notes a statement on the library’s website. “So don your costumes and let’s make it a memorable evening!”